Heavy duty terminal connector



Dec. 16, 1958 H. H. DEJADON 2,865,011

HEAVY DUTY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed June 24, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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2,865,011 HEAVY DUTY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Herman H. Dejadon, River Forest, Ill.

ApplicationJune 24, 1954, Serial No. 439,031

Claims. (or. 339-150) This invention relates in general to a heavy duty terminal connector and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for making terminal connections in heavy load electrical circuits efficiently and quickly.

An important object of the invention is to provide 'a quick change heavy duty terminal connector which is particularly adapted for use on transportation equipment where heavy loads are common and quick changes may be frequently required, such as in switching the motorized trucks of the cars of an electric train due to failure of the electric motor thereof or similarly switching the traction truck of a motorized diesel power unit.

In present railway practice duplicate terminals called connectors are permanently secured to each element of the power transmission line from the generator of diesel power units and to the terminals of the motor leads to the traction units thereof. These terminals are interlockingly.connected in pairs in lapped relationship and are heavily wrapped with insulating tape. The application of the tape requires considerable time and since the tape is destroyed for disconnections it is also expensive. My terminal connector eliminates this practice and thereby efiects an economy of time and expense.

Another important object of the invention is to pro vide a terminal connector as above mentioned in which electrical connections are positive and highly efficient and are weather protected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tubular insulator for such a device wherein the cable terminals may be received in pairs together with suitable bridging conductors and secured in intimate engagement through walls of the insulator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, such as 2,865fill Patented Dec. 15, 1958 nector 10 in which one or a series of terminals 11 of a power line 12, may be connected electrically and mechanically to one or a series of terminals 13 of extension line 14 for transmitting power. As illustrated in Fig. 7 the power line 12 has four elements or conductors, the terminals of which are connected to the terminals of four conductors of the extension line 14 through and by my terminal connector 10.

The terminal connector 10 includes a series of tubular insulating sleeves 21, companion bridging elements 22, a box-like housing 23 for supporting the insulating sleeves 21 in operative alignment, and a clamping mechanism 24.

In present practice the power lines of some equipment, such as the power line 12 from the generator of a diesel power unit, which include twoconductors or cables for an armature circuit and two conductors for a field Winding circuit, are provided at their terminals with permanently secured connector fittings 15 and duplicate fittings the economy of construction and the efficiency of operation will be apparent as the invention is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses an embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

'Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a terminal con- .nector embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, viewing Fig. 1 from the plane of the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 33 in Fig. 2 and showing details of construction.

' Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts in latching relationship with a pair of attached terminal fittings.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5-5 in Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken away or omitted to show details of construction at successively lower levels.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one application of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing some of the parts in detail with a portion of the insulating body broken away to show details of construction.

To illustrate the invention I have shown a terminal conare permanently attached to the corresponding extension cables or conductors 14 leading to the motor of motorized trucks. To utilize these standard fittings, now forming the terminals of the conductors to which they are attached, my terminal connector may be and is shown proportioned to receive and connect line terminals having such fittings attached thereto.

The fittings 15 forming the terminals 11 and 13 of the cables or conductors 12 and 14 are formed of highly I conductive metal in cylindrical form of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the attached cable plus the thickness of insulating material covering the cable and are bored as at 26 to receive the cable for permanent attachment thereto by brazing or soldering. A portion of the cylindrical body of each fitting is cut away to the axis thereof to form a flat surface 27 of considerable length which may be arranged in lapped relationship with the same flat surface of a duplicate companion fitting. Approximately midway between the ends of the flat surface 27 an annular latch groove 28 is formed and a latch pin 29 of sufiicient length to engage in the groove 28 of a companion fitting is rigidly mounted in the base of the groove 28.

Openings 31 formed in elastic tubular extensions 32 located at the opposite ends of the insulating sleeve 21, see Fig. 8, are proportioned to receive the terminal fittings 15 and to tightly engage the insulating covering of the power cables. Suitable commercially standard tube clamps 33 may be provided to insure water or weathertight engagement between the extensions 32 and the cables. An annular groove 34 is provided in the outer surface of the tubular extension 32 for receiving the clamps 33.

Between the tubular extensions 32 of the insulating sleeve 21, the body thereof is of rectangular form having side walls 41 and 42, a bottom wall 43 and a separable top wall 44. The walls 41, 42 and 43 are joined and connected with the tubular extensions 32 by end walls 45. With the exception of the separable top wall 44, the sleeve 21 is formed of an elastic material, such as rubber with a durometer hardness of approximately sixty. The separable top wall 44 is preferably formed of a phenolic thermosetting plastic and may be cut from standardthickness sheets of plain or laminated stock. The separable top wall 44 provides a window 46 in the sleeve 21 for facilitating assembly as will be later described and has a groove 47 extending about the perimeter thereof for receiving a bead 48 extending about and defining the window 46.

A window 51 is formed in the bottom wall 43 of the sleeve 21 with an ofiset shelf 52 and a latch pressure plate 53 having a flange 54 fitting the shelf 52 forms a closure therefor. The latch pressure plate is also formed of a hard thermosetting plastic.

While the fittings forming the terminals of cable parts to be connected may be inserted into lapped relationship within the sleeve 21 and the fiat surfaces 27 thereof may be clamped together therein for establishing electrical connections between line parts, for greater'efficiency the companion bridging elements 22 are provided and in the present embodiment these are of oblong-form each having a flute 61 extendinglength wise thereof. The radius of the flute 61 being equal to the maximum radius of the fittings 15 and the depth thereof being slightly smaller to permit full clamping action. The flutes 61 together form a channel for receiving terminals 11 and 13 and may be chamfered as at 62 to facilitateinsertion of the terminals. The cross-sectional outline of the assembled companion bridging elements is rectangular so as to fit between the walls 4144 of the sleeve 21 and the length thereof is proportioned to fit between the end walls 45 thereof. The sleeve 21 and the bridging elements 22 are proportioned in length so that the latter will engage substantially all of the cylindrical surface of the terminals or connector fittings 15 when they are assembled as shown in Fig. 4.

A half circular metal bridge wall 63 Figs. 36 and 8 is secured slightly off center in the flute 61 of each one of the bridging elements 22 by means of rivets 64. These bridge walls 63 form stops and register with the fiat surfaces 27 of the fittings 15 to locate the annular groove 28 therein with respect to'latch pin 65 mounted in the bridge wall of at least one of the bridging elements 22. The latch pin 65 is normally retracted by a helical spring 66 seated in a socket formed in the bridge wall and against a head 67 formed on the pin 65. A slot 68 formed in the top surfaces of the bridge walls 63 passes the latch pin 29 which is not used in the present embodiment.

The housing 23 may be formed of cast metal, such as aluminum, and includes a base part 71 and a cover part 72 joined at a parting plane 73, Figs. 1-6, and secured together by cap srews 74 extending through the cover part 72 and having threaded engagement in the base part 71 and through bolts 75 near the four corners of the housing extending through the housing for engagement with an underframe 76 of a-vehicle body or other suitable supporting surfaces.

Aligned'cavities 77 are formed in each one of the housing parts 71 and 72 by the walls thereof and cooperative partitions 78 extending between side walls 79 and 80 of the housing parts in substantially parallel relationship. The cavities 77 are each formed and proportioned to receive one half of the rectangular portion of one insulating sleeve 21. These cavities terminate at half circular openings defined by semiannular bosses 81 one of which is located at each end of the cavities 77, for embracing the base portion of the tubular extensions 32 at opposite ends of one of the insulating sleeves 21 upon assembly of the housing parts '71 and 72. While a series of four sets of cavities 77 are illustrated in the present embodiment to provide for four sets of terminal connections, more or less may be provided in accordance with requirements.

The clamping mechanism 24 includes a leaf spring 83 nested in a pocket 84 in the bottom wall 43 of the sleeve 21 and engaging in a recess 85 formed in the outer wall of one of the bridging elements 22. Suitable apertures 86 are formed in the leaf spring 83 for receiving aligning pins 87 mounted in and extending upwardly from the pressure plate 53. A cam shaft 88, arranged to act against and through the pressure plates 53 individually, provides individual clamping action for each one of the leaf springs 83 and its associated bridging element 22 and may be rotatably mounted in bearings 89formed in the cover part 72, a square end portion 90 thereof extends from the housing to receive an actuating handle 91.

The cam shaft 88 is secured against axial movement by the handle 91 and lock nuts 92 engaging the ends thereof so as to align a series of fiat cam surfaces 93 formed thereon with the series of sleeves 21 and their respective pressure plates 53. A locking plunger 94 is mounted for axial movement in a socket member 95, by means of a compression spring 96, into one or the other of two notches 97 formed in a circular flange 98 formed on the handle 91 for locking the handle to hold the cam shaft 88 in latching position. The socket member maybe pressed into a suitable hole drilled into a side wall of the housing cover part 72 near the handle 91. Two notches 97 are provided since the cam action of the shaft 88 is operable upon rotation thereof. in either direction.

In operation As above mentioned the housing is constructed in accordance with the number of conductors to be connected in a particular installation, such as one or more but normally two to four. The'housing may be assembled over the parts as above mentioned and secured by means of the cap screws 74 and then attached for operation to the underframe 76 or any other suitable supporting surface.

An order of assembly is to first assemble parts 53, 83 and 22 into the'sleeve 21 through the window 46 and assemble the top wall 44 thereto. The pressure plate 53 is first placed to close the window'SIt. The leaf spring 83 is then placed with the apertures 36 thereof receiving aligning pins 87 rigidly mounted in the pressure plate 53, the pocket 84 in the bottom wall 43 receives the leaf spring 83 in part and the recess 85 formed in the underside of the lowermost member of the companion bridging elements 22 cooperates therewith. Abutments 102 are formed at the end of the recess 85 for limiting longitudinal movement of the leaf spring. The lowermost member of the companion bridging elements 22 is then assembled over the leaf spring 83 with the head 67 of the latch pin 65 seated on the top surface of the leaf spring 83.

The upper element of the companion bridging elements 22 may then be placed and the top wall 44 engaged to close the window 46.

Assembled as above these assemblies may then be placed in separate cavities 77 in the cover part 72 and secured by the base part 71 of the housing 23 as above described.

In the diagram, Fig. 7, a motorized railway truck is indicated of which a wheel 35 attached to a journal 36 is indicated resting on a track 37, and a motor 38 is indicated connected to drive the wheel 35 through gears 39 and 40.

With the handle 91 in the vertical position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the clamping mechanism 24 is released to permit the insertion of terminals 11 and 13 at opposite ends of the sleeves 21 through the openings 31 in the tubular extensions 32 thereof and into the channel formed by the flutes 61 in the companion bridging elements 22, to the extent that the ends thereof abut against and lap the bridge walls 63 therein. The handle 91 may then be rotated to the horiz'ontal position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and as shown in Fig. 7 to effect electrical and mechanical connection and the latching thereof in such relationship simultaneously. With the handle 91 in the horizontal position the looking plunger 94 is projected into the notch 97 presented thereto by the spring 96 for locking the handle in the latching position. Release or disconnection of the terminals is effected by the above operations in reverse order after pressing the plunger 94 against the spring 96 and out of the functioning notch 97.

It will be noted that the latch pins 65 positively lock the terminals 13 against relative longitudinal movement by engaging in the grooves 23 therein as an incident to movement of the leaf spring 83. Such action is desirable where the extension line 14 is connected to a con stantly shifting unit, such'as a railway track and where there may be an extreme tendency to dislodge the terminal, and that similar means may be provided to positively lock the terminals 11 upon occasion.

To insure a more positii: weather and water-tight condition, the tube clamps 33 may be tightened to force the material of the tubular extensions 32 into sealing engagement with the insulating covering of each one of the line terminals.

Cam action of the shaft 88 is transmitted, without yielding action by the latch pressure plate 53, to the leaf spring 83. This spring 83 should have a capacity of approximately eight hundred pounds and yieldingly transmits the cam pressure to the lowermost unit of the companion bridging elements 22. Since the uppermost companion bridging element is backed up by the top wall 44 of hard or solid material seated in the cavity 77, the cam pressure is all applied to the terminals 11 and 13, subject to the yielding action of the spring 83 which is provided primarily to accommodate production tolerances and variations due to temperature changes while maintaining a substantially constant and ample clamping pressure on all elements of a series of terminals.

It is believed that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. For use in a heavy duty terminal connector of the character described, a hollow insulating sleeve having an enlarged portion intermediate the ends thereof for receiving current conducting terminal bridging elements and a window therein for admitting the bridging elements, and a closure for the window.

2. The insulating sleeve of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed of an elastic insulating material and the closure for the window therein is formed of a relatively hard thermosetting plastic material.

3. For use in a heavy duty termnial connector of the character described, an insulating sleeve, comprising a hollow sleeve formed of elastic material having an enlarged portion intermediate the ends thereof for receiving metallic terminal bridging elements and windows formed in diametrically opposite wall portions thereof, and closures for the windows in the wall portions thereof formed of a solid insulating material.

4. A heavy duty terminal connector, comprising insulating means including a plurality of insulating sleeves terminating at their opposite ends in terminal receiving elastic tubes for forming weathertight seals therewith, current conducting bridging elements formed by fluted bars together forming terminal receiving channels at both ends thereof and supported within the insulating sleeves intermediate the ends thereof, support means engaging the insulating sleeves about the bridging elements, and clamping means carried by the support means common to and acting on the bridging elements individually through openings in the insulating sleeves associated therewith for clamping line terminals extending between the bridging elements in fixed current carrying and mechanical releationship.

5. The heavy duty terminal connector of claim 4, wherein the openings in the insulating sleeves are closed by elements of a relatively hard insulating material forming a part of the clamping means.

6. A heavy duty terminal connector, comprising a pair of oblong bodies formed of metal having relative- 1y high current carrying capacity and having longitudinally disposed flutes in adjoining sides thereof together forming a tubular channel for receiving and gripping a line terminal at both ends, a yieldable pressure element arranged adjacent one of said oblong bodies, insulating means forming an inclosure for the oblong bodies and the pressure element having openings therein for admitting line terminals to both ends of the channel in said oblong bodies, said insulating means being formed of plastic material having some elastic characteristics and two oppositely disposed wall portions located between the ends thereof having no elastic characteristics, a housing therefor, and clamping mean including a cam device supported in the housing adjacent the insulating means and acting against one of the oppositely disposed wall portions of the insulating means to compress the yieldable pressure element against one of the oblong bodies to eifect clamping thereof in tight electrical and mechanical engagement with line terminals.

7. The heavy duty terminal connector of claim 6, wherein the elastic body of the insulating means is formed with windows in oppositely disposed sidewalls thereof and these windows are closed by separately formed non-elastic wall portions.

8. A heavy duty terminal connector, comprising a series of substantially tubular sleeves forming insulated channels for receiving a line terminal at both ends thereof, said tubular sleeves being formed of semi-elastic material and having an enlarged chamber formed in the central portion thereof, one wall of which is provided with a non-elastic section, terminal connecting means including companion fluted bars of current conducting material arranged in the chambers formed in the tubular sleeves and normally spaced apart to receive a line terminal therebetween at both ends, support means therefor including a housing arranged to support the tubular sleeves in juxtaposition with the non-elastic wall sections thereof disposed in a common plane, and means including a cam shaft supported in the housing with the axis thereof in substantially parallel relationship with respect to the plane of the non-elastic wall sections of the tubular sleeves and carrying cam surfaces individualized to each one of the non-elastic wall sections and acting thereon to effect clamping movement of one of the companion fluted bars in each one of the tubular sleeves whereby a series of line terminals may be simultaneously mechanically and electrically connected.

9. The heavy duty connector of claim 8, wherein a spring pressure element is interposed between the nonelastic walls of each one of the tubular sleeves and a fluted bar carried therein for equalizing clamping pressure.

10. The heavy duty terminal connector of claim 8, wherein clamping pressure is equalized by a leaf spring element mounted to back up one of the fluted bars in each one of the tubular sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,559,361 Parker Oct. 27, 1925 1,810,687 Taylor June 16, 1931 1,917,009 Betts et a]. July 4, 1933 2,441,393 Buchanan et a1. May 11, 1948 2,526,277 Rogoff Oct. 17, 1950 2,680,145 Lanfear June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 557,042 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1943 607,166 Germany Dec. 18, 1934 

